Accordion bass chord converter



July 9, 1957 A. PICCHU-:TTI 2,798,400

ACCORDION BASS CHORD CONVERTER Filed July 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 9, 1957 A. PlccHlE'rTl AccoRDroN BASS cHoRD CONVERTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2, 1954 MN QN AcconnroN BASS cHoRD coNvERTER Application `uly 2, 1954, Serial No. 441,070`

7 Claims. (Cl. 84.@376)v This invention relates generally to accordions and particularly to a conveniently controllable mechanism for converting selected bass chord keys into keys for playing less than all ofthe notes of the chord and: more specifically into keys for playing individual bass notes.

Since the development some years ago which permitted predetermined bass chords to be produced; by the pressing of only a single operating key, the versatility of an accordion as a concert instrument capable of playing extremely diiicult passages has been constantly improved. However, it has long been a problem, even with the 160 bass concert type accordions, for the accordionist to play more than two octaves of single. bass notes in addition to the bass chords. Such a concert accordion has eight rows of bass keys with each row containing twenty keys. Four of said eight rows of keys are designed to play individual bass notes within a two octave range. The other four rows of keys actuate the bass chords of the accordion which, of course, contain notes in the next octave higher than. the two octaves of the individual bass chords. With present accordions, it is possible to play this third octave of individual bass notes only by manipulation of a plurality of inaccessible switch buttons which operate slides to c ut out the lower notes produced by the depression of the bass keys.` To actuate these switch buttons, the accordionist must reach across the entire bass keyboard of the accordion and shift a button either up or down. Obviously, this is not convenient, nor can such a shift be easily or quickly made, This limits the accordionist in his ability to play difficult passages requiring the playing of individual bass notes which extend over a three octave range.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an accordion having a readily accessible conversion control member constructed to permit individual bass notes to be played by pressing selected bass chord keys to make available an additional higher octave of easily accessible individual bass notes and permit open chords and passages calling for rapid playing of said individual bass notes in three consecutive octaves to be readily played by the accordionist.

It is another object to provide an accordion having a readily accessible conversion mechanism for shifting certain of the actuating elements of selected bass chord keys out of operative position to permit single predetermined bass notes to be played by the pressing down of certain selected bass chord keys.

More specifically, it is an object to provide an accordion having a plurality of bass chord push rods constructed so that certain of the chord actuating elements may be controllably shifted into inoperative position but certain of the other note actuating elements will remain operative with the means for shifting said elements being positioned within easy access of the accordionist, thus permitting certain of the bass chord keys to be single predetermined bass notes.

tates Patent A 2,798,411@ Patented July 9, 1957 It is another specific object to provide a plurality of chord playing push rods each having a generally circular cross sectional shape with an actuator mounting sleeve journalled on the outside thereof to permit the radially disposed valve actuators mounted in iixed relation on said sleeve to be swung out of engagement with certain of saidl elements for actuating the linkages of the respective valves.v

These and other objects and advantages of this invention` will more fully appear from the following description made in connection withV the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. l is a transverse vertical sectional View taken substantially along the line 1 1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a horizontalv longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3` is a fragmentary horizontal longitudinal sectional view takensubstantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view partially in section showing a typical convertible push rod; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

An accordion bass section designated als an entirety by the numeral 10 is illustrated in Figs. l and 2, and has a bass keyboard panel 11 which, in the form shown, has eight rows of twenty bass keys each to illustrate a bass accordion. As best shown in Figs. l and 2, the keyboard 11 is inclined slightly in the normal manner and a plurality of switch buttons 11a are provided along they inner edge of said panel 11 adjacent the accordion bellows. The innermost four rows of bass keys are designated as a group by the numeral 12 and are the keys for actuating two octaves of individual bass notes. Theoutermost four rows are constructed to normally produce the bass chords with the next innermost rows of keys being designated by the numeral 13 and the outermost pair of rows of keys being designated by the numeral 14. The inner pair of bass chord keys 13 are constructed to respectively actuate a plurality of reciprocable push rods 15 which are made in accordance with the present invention. The push rods 15 are suitably guided in a xed frame member 16 of bass section 10 for reciprocation therein in response to inwardly directed pressure being applied to the selected keys 13.

As best shown in Fig. 4, each of the push rods 15 has a mounting sleeve 17 journalled for rotation thereon on its longitudinal axis. A pair of stop elements 15a and 15b engage the ends of sleeve 17 and prevent longitudinal shifting movement thereof relative to the rod 15. A plurality of longitudinally spaced radially extending actuating elements are iixed to each of the sleeves 17. In the form of the invention illustrated, one of these actuating elements consists in a generally at disc segment 18 and the others consist in actuating pins 19. When said sleeve is disposed in normal position, all of said elements 18 and 19 will respectively engage the chord actuating linkages respectively connected with the valves for the notes of each of the chords so that in said normal position depression of a selected key 1 3 will produce the desired bass chord in the usual manner. However, when said sleeve is rotated through an arc sufcient to disengage the pins 19 from their respective valve actuating linkages, the bass notes of said chord actuated by said pins 19 will become inoperative. However, the peripheral extent of disc segment 18 is sufficient to remain in engagement with the valve actuating linkage and depression of key 13 connected therewith will open only the single valve actuated by said disc segment 1S and produce only an individual note instead of a bass chord.

Suitable means are provided for shifting said sleeve 17 from normal chord actuating position to converted position for actuating only a single note, such as the longitudinally shiftable slide member 20 slidably mounted in a suitable guideway xed to frame 16. Each of the sleeves 17 has a converting crank arm 21 fixed thereto with the crank arms of the sleeves 17 being received in the control slots 20a of slide 20. Thus, longitudinal shifting movement of the slide 20 in its guideway will produce a predetermined increment of rotation of each of the sleeves 17 to shift the actuating elements into either converted or normal position. A bell crank 21 is pivotally mounted on a pin 22 tixed to a suitable bracket within bass section 10. The end of bell crank 21 adjacent slide 20 has a slot 21a formed therein which receives a pin 2Gb fixed to slide 20 whereby shifting of bell Y crank 21 will produce the desired longitudinal shifting of slide 2). A control member 23 has a pair of control handles 23a extending outwardly through the casing of bass section substantially adjacent the outer edge of keyboard panel 11, and said member 23 is, in the form shown, journalled on suitable trunnions at the ends thereof for oscillation, with an intermediate portion being connected with the other arm of bell crank 21 as by a link 24. Suitable elongated slots 10a are provided in the bottom casing panel of section 10 through which the portions of the control member 23 extend and are permitted to shift. retaining slide bar in normal and converted positions are provided such as the spring-pressed lever arms 25 which yieldably engage a cooperating retaining element 26 fixed to the end of slide 20 opposite bell crank 21. The retaining element 26 has a pair of recesses formed therein with a widened section disposed therebetween.

The ends of the arms 25 engage said element 26 and are Y received in the respective recesses at the ends of the shifting stroke of said slide 20 to retain said slide in the desired shifted position.

As is best shown in Fig. l, the two rows of keys 13 As best shown in Fig. 3, suitable means for actuate a single row of push rods 15 and the two rows ,Y

of keys 14 actuate a single conventional row of push rods 27 and the innermost pair of rows of keys 12 actuate a single row of conventional push rods 28 with the next pair of keys 12 actuating the next outwardly disposed row of push rods 29. Each of these rows of push rods 27, 2S and 29 is constructed in the usual manner wherein each of the push rods constitutes a flat bar mounted for longitudinal reciprocation in suitable guides and having a desired number of actuating pins fixed in outstanding relation thereto for constant engagement with the conventional actuating linkages of the respective valves.

It will be seen that this invention provides an ingenious and highly eicient mechanism for permitting a selected group of bass chord actuating keys to be converted readily into keys for actuating a third octave of individual bass notes to facilitate playing of diihcult passages calling for open chords and rapid playing of individual bass knotes in three consecutive octaves.

Aa plurality of bass note valves respectively having actuating elements operatively associated therewith, a plurality of push rods operatively associated with said bass chord keys and said valve actuating elements and mounted for reciprocation in said bass section for actuation by 4 said keys, a plurality of rotatable sleeves respectively mounted on selected push rods, a plurality of engageable actuating elements mounted on said sleeves and respectively normally engaging said valve actuating elements and arranged so that a plurality of predetermined valves will be opened when said sleeve is in normal position, and readily accessible control means for simultaneously rotating said sleeves through a. predetermined arc to remove the valve actuating elements and the sleeve actuating elements from engagement with each other to render certain of the notes of said chord inoperative when a selected bass chord key is depressed.

2. An accordion including a bass section with a bass keyboard provided with a plurality of bass chord keys, a plurality of push rods respectively associated with said bass chord keys for actuation thereby and reciprocably mounted in said bass section, a rotatable mounting member mounted on each of said push rods, a plurality of actuating elements mounted on each of said mounting members, a plurality of bass note values, cooperating actuating elements normally engaged with said rst mentioned actuating elements and having valve operating linkage connected therewith for simultaneously opening a plurality of predetermined valves when a selected bass chord key is depressed, and said rotatable mounting member is in normal position, an elongated shift slide reciprocably mounted in said bass section, mechanism respectively interconnecting said slide and said rotatable mounting members in a manner to produce controlled rotation of said mounting members whenever said slide is reciprocated, and readily accessible control means for shifting said slide to disengage certain of said first mentioned actuating elements so that depression of a selected bass chord key will not actuate certain of the individual notes normally played by said key.

3. An accordion comprising a bass section with a plurality of bass chord keys, a push rod operatively connected with each of said keys for actuation thereby and reciprocably mounted in sadi section, a plurality of valves controlling the playing of bass notes, valve actuating mechanisms respectively interconnecting said push rods and said valves, a plurality of actuating elements carried by said push rods and respectively engaging predetermined valve actuating mechanisms in a manner to normally produce a predetermined bass chord when a selected key is depressed, -at least certain of said actuating elements on said push rods being shiftable out of engagement with the respective valve actuating mechanism normally engaged thereby, and controllable converting mechanism for disengaging certain of said elements so that at least certain of the Valves normally actuated by depression of the push rod will remain closed.

4. An `accordion including a bass section with a bass key lboard provided with a plurality of bass chord keys, a plurality of reciprocable push rods respectively responsive for actuation -to the actuation of said bass chord keys, a mounting member journaled for rotation on each of said push rods and carried thereby for reciprocation therewith, a plurality of actuating elements mounted on each of said Vmounting members, a plurality of bass note valves, valve actuating elements normally engaged with said first mentioned actuating elements and respectively interconnecting the same with said valves, said elements being constructed and arranged so that a plurality of predetermined valves will be opened simultaneously when a selected bass chord key is depressed and said mounting member is disposed in normal position, control means connected with said mounting members to permit rotation thereof about said push rods as an axis to disengage certain of said actuating elements and render certain of said valves inoperative upon depression of the selected bass chord key.

5. An accordion including a bass section with a bass key board provided with a plurality of bass chord keys, a plurality of bass note valves, a plurality of actuating elements responsive for actuation to each of said bass chord keys, a plurality of actuated elements operatively associated with said bass note valves and respectively engaged by said actuating elements, said actuating and actuated elements being so constructed and arranged as to normally open a plurality of valves Whenever a selected bass chord key is depressed, means under the control of the accordion player for shifting certain of said elements out of engagement with the other elements to render the valves normally actuated thereby inoperative.

6. An accordion including a bass section with a bass key board provided with a plurality of bass chord keys, a plurality of push rods respectively associated with said bass chord keys for actuation thereby and reciprocably mounted in said bass section, a sleeve member journaled for rot-ation on each of said push rods and mounted thereon for reciprocation therewith, a plurality of longitudinally spaced radially extending actuating elements mounted on each of said sleeves and having portions thereof disposed in the same longitudinal plane through the axis of said sleeve, a plurality of bass note valves, cooperating valve actuating elements having operating connection with the respective valves, a predetermined number of said valve actuating elements being respectively engaged by the actuating elements carried by said sleeve members for simultaneous actuation of a plurality of predetermined valves when a selected bass chord key is depressed and said sleeve is disposed in normal position, control means operatively associated with said sleeves for rotating the same through a predetermined arc and removing certain of said actuating elements from engagement with the cooperating valve actuating elements normally engaged thereby to render certain of said valves inoperative.

7. rPhe structure set forth in claim 6 and certain of said actuating elements carried by said sleeve being constructed and arranged to remain in contact with the respective valve actuating element normally contacted thereby so that certain valves will be actuated even when said sleeve is rotated to disengage the other elements from their respective operative positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,133,555 Galleazzi Mar. 30, 1915 1,831,734 Arostegui Nov. 10, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 409,787 Italy Mar. 3, 1945 

